Turkey seizes jet from Iran’s Caspian Airlines over unpaid debt

Turkish authorities have seized a Boeing 737 belonging to Iran's Caspian Airlines at Istanbul Airport, claiming the aircraft was seized due to an unpaid three-million-euro ($3.4 million) debt, according to Turkish state media. The incident occurred on Monday while passengers were already on board, after officials presented a court-issued seizure order.

The reports did not mention the recent US sanctions against Iranian airlines aimed at economically isolating the Islamic Republic. A Turkish government official confirmed the move, stating it was linked to a commercial dispute, without elaborating further. Iranian state television quoted Caspian Airlines as saying they faced "temporary operational restrictions due to an administrative issue in Turkey," resulting in passengers disembarking.

The airline reported they would resolve the situation and the aircraft would return to Iran on Tuesday. Notably, Turkey has not adhered to the new US sanctions announced in early September, which could have affected its business dealings with Iranian airlines. Despite the sanctions, multiple airlines, including Iran Air, continue to operate regular flights between the two nations.

However, Mahan Air, a major freight transporter, announced its suspension of all flights to Turkey starting September 21 at the request of Turkish aviation authorities. Iran has been embroiled in a conflict since late February, following a surprise bombing campaign by the United States and Israel that killed the nation's supreme leader.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had warned that consequences would follow for countries not joining the endeavor to economically isolate Iran.